WEEK 0 — MARCH 29, 30

[cartesio]

Week 0

You have been threatened by the Sergeant: if nobody dies before March 31st at noon, you, along with everyone else, will forfeit your lives. The Sergeant pushed everyone away from the Lodge, judging that had been enough interaction with his guests. So what now?

Will you submit to the Sergeant’s demands? Will you resist him and wait to see what happens? He wouldn’t be capable of killing you and everyone else, right?

Only time will tell.

The next day you'll find a newspaper at the motel lounge, telling you about today’s weather forecast with 100% accuracy. Looks like you can expect to find a newspaper every day to find out the weather and any other news about the town. It even includes something branded 'THE SHARK ALERT'. Who could that be directed to?

There's also a copy of yesterday's newspaper. There's nothing about the Sergeant or about your predicament, but there is something about your arrival to the town.

Cartesio is your world for the next four days, better make the most out of your time here.

OOC Note: The current IC:OOC ratio for the days is as follows: The 29th top-level covers Monday and Tuesday, while the 30th top-level is for Wednesday and Thursday.

Links

IC Rules
Room Assignments
Locations
Tasks

March 28^th
March 29^th
March 30^th

Comments

[anonsoldier5]

[Letting the crowbar hand limp.]

Think there's a fire exit or something. They normally unlock if you open it from the inside.

[anonsoldier2]

Hmm.

Speaking of fires, we really should get the employees out of our hair. I'll see if I can convince them to leave.

[cartesio]

[Good luck, soldier!

It seems nobody's going down to the lobby anymore, though. Whether they heard something from downstairs or not isn't clear, but it's not like this building has any place to hide. They'll definitely be up there.

Go up with the rest whenever you're ready!]

[anonsoldier4]

If everyone's ready, we should get going.

[ Is it really clear heading up stairs? Because this one will check for that. And if so, what's exactly up here? ]

[cartesio]

[The stairs are clear, and there's a door open after ascending a floor, helpfully labelled 'Administrative offices'.

Peeking inside shows a bit of an obstacle, though. At first all you can see is a cubicle wall, made of cork and plastic. Looks flimsy, but it's stopping your sight. To the sides there are more of those. Whoever designed this office should be scolded, because trying to look over the wall shows it's like a labyrinth in here. This can't be efficient at all.

There's also the noise of someone somewhere in the place, mostly noises of someone rooting through paper and typing in a keyboard. It's so silent in the office those little noises reverberate around, it's impossible to pinpoint just how far or how close the person is, or if they're alone.

How shall you solve this particular problem? Time is at a premium right now, after all!

[anonsoldier5]

[How flimsily is the wall? Enough to bend when this person puts some weight on it?

Could they just burst through them?]

[cartesio]

[The cubicle walls seems to be barely held together, like with enough strength you could even move it. You could burst through it! It's going to make noise and alert anyone who is in this place, but you definitely could do that]

[anonsoldier4]

[ the amount of shits they're starting to give are zero. this one begins to move into the labyrinth, though they make sure to peer around the corners of the walls before going any further. mostly to see if they can find one corridor empty or see the person there before being possibly spotted. ]

[anonsoldier1]

[This soldier is conscious enough of everyone else's efforts at stealth to keep their voice at barely a whisper, but...]

You're really gonna try to navigate through this? This thing's weak. Let's just smash our way through and knock 'em out if they come for us.

[cartesio]

[Most of the corridors are empty, and getting further into the place is easy. Stealth seems to delay anything about you being found out, but it's only matter of time before you finally are:

Before long, everyone has the feeling you're being followed. Choosing to try to navigate the labyrinth instead of tearing through it seems to have made the person not be entirely hostile yet, judging by the lack of panic and the measured stalking that's happening to you, but your uniforms can't have been appeasing either.

If you turn around you see no one, although the sensation of being watched continues. This is their turf, not yours. If you're not careful, things can go pear-shaped]

[anonsoldier3]

[Just going to. very carefully start walking. They hold up a finger to their mask, before walking.]

[anonsoldier2]

[in a hushed tone:]

I'm sure we can get them off our back if we come up with an adequate explanation, you know.

[anonsoldier1]

...In these.

[They're wearing soldier outfits, man. They stand out just a bit.]

[anonsoldier4]

[ also. said quietly: ]

...I doubt it. If we knock them out it'd be easier but we don't have visual of 'em. So creeping around it is.

[cartesio]

[Creeping around it is indeed.

By the time you reach halfway through the room, you finally hear steps, and the noise of...something. It's a strange noise, and the thud of someone falling to the floor]

Ah, shit!

[When you turn around you find someone in middle of the hallway. All around him there are lots of documents and paper. Looks like whatever way he was going was impeded by stacks of paper, and when he tried to get closer, he tripped, making the paper fall all around him, covering the floor. A couple of the cubicle walls also fell, pushing against others without managing to achieve a domino effect.

Still, that's a man, looking like a tired, sleep-deprived intern, and undoubtedly the one following you. Feeling like he can't go back now, he stands up, eyeing everyone with distrust]

Okay, what's going on here? Who the heck are you guys?

[He unconsciously glances behind himself for a second before standing right in middle of the hallway]

[anonsoldier1]

...About that visual. Whaddaya say?

[They are so ready for this beatdown. Just say the word.]

[cartesio]

Wait a second, I'm not letting you do anything! Heard something about knocking me out!

[He raises his voice, and shows something in his hand. A paperweight.

A tired man with a paperweight versus several soldiers. Well at least he's giving this a try?]

[anonsoldier2]

[soldier number two steps in front of the other soldiers to try and employ diplomacy.]

Sir, excuse me! Didn't you get the message? I thought it was supposed to be common knowledge, but this building needs to be evacuated immediately.

[cartesio]

It needs to--wait, what?

[Despite what he just said, he doesn't sound...unsurprised. Guess he has been hearing sirens in the distance, but he doesn't seem to know for sure what happened]

Evacuate for what?

[anonsoldier2]

You've heard the sirens, haven't you? Apparently there's some sort of serial arsonist on the loose that's torching buildings left and right. We're here to clear the building to make sure they haven't run in here to strike again.

[anonsoldier1]

[Ugh this is so stupid and they want to SMASH but-]

Yeah. And when we heard someone creepin' around after us, we thought you might be the arsonist!

[If they play along and get this guy to go away will they be allowed to smash...]

[cartesio]

[The man seems to be getting convinced, although not entirely. Only when a second similarly tired intern, looking almost identical, comes behind him and puts a hand on his shoulder he snaps out of his nervousness]

Just go, man. Get to safety.

[Somehow that's enough to get him to go. The new intern watches him leave for a second and turns to them]

You'll have to forgive him, he's not very bright. He'd have fallen for this lie no matter what. You're not with the police nor with the firemen, I can tell. [Must be the uniforms] Tell you what, I won't denounce you as long as you let me give you a tip for whatever you came to do. You gonna steal something? Fine. I don't care what you do, I don't care if you set fire to this place like you did to the streets outside, just let me smash something. I'll even tell you the security box is over there. You gonna need to get rid of it. [He points to the right of the room. Should be easy enough to get over there through the walls] Just obliterate this place to the ground.

[A bit more long-winded than he thought it'd be, but it's done. Giving them one last glare, he walks away, navigating the hallways with ease. He seems...discontent, for some reason.

But you're alone for now and that's what matters. Still, there are two places, and everyone being together may not work. How are you going to do this?]

[anonsoldier1]

[MUSIC TO THIS SOLDIER'S EAR, TO BE HONEST. THEY'VE ONLY BEEN WAITING ALL DAY.]

...Welp. I heard "get rid of" something. Anyone mind if I go get all smashy on that security box?

[anonsoldier6]

[ One particular member of the group, who has remained silent throughout, withdraws a can of gold spraypaint and breaks away from the others.

The quiet soldier finds a wall off to the side, and just goes to town, the absolute madman. ]

[cartesio]

[You don't spot anyone, but you have been spotted!]